IDIBC Chapter 73

Lake Kinnels (1)

Julian took out his wallet from his inner pocket and handed the old woman a large sum of money.

“I’d like to buy those flowers.”

The old woman’s eyes widened as she handed Julian the entire basket full of flowers. He smiled broadly and approached Sabrina carrying the basket.

Sabrina squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. When she opened them again, she painted a brilliant smile on her face and turned back toward Julian. Then, as if it were only natural, she accepted the basket of flowers Julian held out to her.

“I thought visiting while you’re recuperating might be bothersome.”

“Of course.”

He took Sabrina’s hand that wasn’t holding the flowers, lightly kissed the back of it, and looked up at her with only his eyes raised. The honey-sweet gaze made her feel as if her entire body was melting.

“I can’t wait to see you in a Jeronia dress as soon as possible.”

Sabrina’s lips trembled as she forced out a smile. How could she naturally avoid meeting him three days from now? Sabrina’s deep contemplation began.

****

Today was cooler than other days. A gentle breeze blew in through the open window, and a warm fragrance lingered in the room.

I was sitting at Ricardo’s desk writing down a few things to do today, while Ricardo sat on the long sofa beside the bed reviewing documents that needed attention.

Just then, Freddy came to the office carrying a letter from Young Duke Paquin. I was curious about the contents but didn’t ask. I focused again on planning the enjoyable day we would spend together.

“What are you writing so diligently?”

Ricardo, who had been reading the letter for a while, had somehow made his way over to where I was.

He pulled over another chair and placed it right next to mine. Propping his chin on one hand, he grinned when our eyes met.

“Is this really what you’re going to do for the whole day?”

As Ricardo glanced at the paper, I pushed it toward him.

“Well, I’m not trying to do all of this. There are just quite a few things I need to check with the butler, so I’m writing them down.”

I tapped my finger on the plan in the first line.

“As I mentioned the other night, taking a boat on Lake Kinnels is the first thing I want to do.”

Speaking of Lake Kinnels, it was one of the places I most wanted to visit in Dermeier. The problem was that the atmosphere there wasn’t aristocratic at all.

“Um, first of all, we can’t use a carriage with the Rochester crest prominently displayed. I don’t want to see people fainting in shock.”

“But why Lake Kinnels of all places?”

“Because…”

Lake Kinnels was a well-known lovers’ spot. It was mainly frequented by young men and women who dated freely, so it was quite distant from the high nobility who primarily engaged in arranged marriages.

I heard that a night market was held there every day in summer. This man probably doesn’t even know what a night market is.

I’d never been there either—I’d only heard about it—so I wasn’t without worry, but since Ricardo said he’d do whatever I wanted, I decided not to think about it anymore.

“The lake is supposed to be incredibly beautiful. You can also ride a ferry boat.”

“A ferry… boat?”

Doubt appeared on Ricardo’s face about why we needed to ride such a thing, but I pretended not to notice and continued.

“If we go out through the back gate of the winter district, it’s just a short distance to where we can catch a hired carriage…”

Seeing his face stiffen further, I changed what I was about to say.

“That doesn’t seem quite right, does it? Probably, the butler will arrange a suitable carriage. Since he’s competent.”

“Freddy.”

“Yes?”

“You’re also a member of the ducal household. So it would be natural to call the butler by his name.”

‘Me?‘ A member of the ducal household, he said. An empty laugh escaped me, but I quickly nodded vigorously.

“Yes, I understand.”

Having heard my answer, he stretched out his body and suddenly pressed his lips to my neck. My fingertips trembled at the action. Moving from the nape of my neck to my earlobe with small kisses, he whispered.

“What about riding horses?”

“Please absolutely do not tell me to ride a horse by myself.”

At my firm and quick answer, Ricardo burst into carefree laughter. Why was this man really acting like this?

Since he’d said let’s go together at the bottom of the cliff, he’d really become like a different person. He always wanted to stay in the same space, and when I came to my senses, I often found myself embraced in his arms.

I tilted my head slightly to barely escape his lips, but an arm shot out and pulled my waist, drawing me tightly to him.

Our eyes met, swaying in the same direction.

“Why are you like this? We need to leave before lunch today.”

“That soon?”

“Yes, I heard there’s a really delicious restaurant near Lake Kinnels.”

Of course, that place was also far from aristocratic.

As his fingers moved past my waist and slowly up along the center bone of my back, I unconsciously straightened my shoulders. Seeing me react strongly to even small movements, Ricardo snatched the pen from my hand and tossed it onto the desk.

“Rica!”

“We just need to leave before lunch, right?”

Suddenly grasping my waist with both hands, he lightly lifted me and sat me on his lap. Then with sparkling black eyes, he looked up at me from below.

“I still have a lot to think about…”

“I want to kiss you.”

“What?”

“It won’t take that much time.”

With a roguish smile, he gripped my neck as if embracing it and pushed me firmly toward himself. Instead of telling him not to, I lightly tilted my head and slipped smoothly from his hand.

Still with a smiling face, Ricardo’s eyes deepened as if asking why.

I slowly cupped his cheeks with both hands. At the action, Ricardo narrowed his eyes. When I briefly pressed my lips to his and pulled away, he smiled, lifting the corners of his mouth.

The sharp gleam in his still indifferent black eyes lasted only a moment.

Gripping the back of my head so I couldn’t escape anymore, he tilted my head as he pleased and devoured my lips.

All my senses rushed to one place, as if a dizzying flash had passed.

‘I have a lot to ask Freddy…’

All the things I’d been planning disappeared like dots in my flickering vision.

****

We arrived at Lake Kinnels much later than the planned time. Freddy, like a competent butler, had promptly prepared the carriage I wanted.

Not all nobles owned carriages belonging to their families. In the case of lower-ranking nobles whose family finances weren’t abundant, they sometimes rented carriages on a yearly basis, and the carriage Freddy brought was exactly like that.

The quite old carriage was appropriately worn and faded, so it would definitely not attract people’s attention.

Freddy watched Ricardo board this shabby carriage with consistently anxious eyes, but he didn’t stop our outing.

Of course, due to Freddy’s strong opposition, we failed to go out without guards, but the knights also used carriages similar to ours rather than the jet-black horses they usually rode.

We barely found the restaurant I wanted, but unfortunately it was their day off, so we couldn’t taste the food.

For me, who was disappointed, Ricardo promised another time.

Only the carriage went according to the original plan, but I was simply happy for all this time. After all, what I wanted was to be with him.

Even inside the carriage, we sat side by side, holding hands tightly with not a single gap between our interlaced fingers.

Even though the ride was clearly not as comfortable as usual, all such trivial sensations flew far away.

“We’ve arrived.”

The coachman, wearing luxurious clothes that didn’t match the carriage, announced our arrival at the door.

When I opened the door and came out, a completely different world spread before me.

The lake wasn’t visible yet, but the path was crowded with numerous people, and there were also those hastily laying out goods for the night market.

I glanced at Ricardo, but his indifferent expression alone couldn’t tell me how he was accepting this situation.

People around us kept glancing and stealing looks at Ricardo, but that was only the natural gaze of people looking at a handsome face—no one recognized him.

After some time passed, people’s interest also waned.

“I didn’t know such a place existed in the empire.”

That was the extent of Ricardo’s impression.

I took his hand and began looking around here and there. The night market hadn’t opened yet, but there were many merchants laying out and selling goods from daytime.

Having not eaten lunch properly, I led him toward those selling street food.

“Oh, this…?”

I approached the colorful stall as if entranced. It was a place selling simple food—taking plain, flat bread, putting in desired fruits or cream, and rolling it up to eat.

It was food I could also see at the markets in Resotia. Of course, I hadn’t gone out to see it myself.

I remembered that occasionally when Sabrina went out to the market and bought some, not only I but Ricardo ate it quite well. The name was… what was it?

“Do you remember this?”

The moment I asked, I felt a sense of ‘oops,’ but soon smiled awkwardly. ‘Ah, he won’t remember.’ Naturally adding words to that effect, as I moved toward another stall, he gently grasped my hand.

“Explain it to me. What that is. How we used to eat this.”

Why would he ask me to explain with such deep eyes?